Sewer-cleaner.



J. M. THOMPSON.

SEWER CLEANER.

APPLICATION man AUG. II. l9l6.

1,218,912. Patnted Mar. 13, 1917.

mil 9 A V JOHN M. THOMPSON, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

SEWER-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

l fatented Mar. 13, 1917.

Application filed. August 17, 1916. Serial No. 115,494.

To all whom/it mag concern.

Be it known that I, J OHN M. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewer-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sewer cleaners of the kind which are passed through a sewer to dislodge and remove any'obstructing accumulators, roots or the like.

The objects of the invention are to construct the cleaner in sections or parts which are adjustable relatively to each other so that the cleaner may be readily adapted for obstructions of different kinds; also to provide a sewer cleaner of this kind which is so constructed as to reduce the amount of pull or work'required to move the cleaner through a sewer for cleaning the same; also to improve the construction. of'sewer cleaners of this kind in other respects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation-of the sewer cleaner embodying the invention, showing the same in a sewer pipe.

Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sectional elevations thereof on lines 22 and 33, respectively, Fig. 1, the removable disk of the sewer cleaner being omitted. in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end elevation thereof, showing the cleaner in position in the sewer pipe.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof on line 5-5, Fig. l.

Briefly stated, the sewer cleaner comprises a plurality of cutting or cleaning units or members which are adjustably mounted on a longitudinal supporting rod or bar, the cutting units or members each being provided with aplurality of cutting edges or blades which are adapted to cut roots or deposits in a sewer pipe when'the cleaner is 4 pulled through the same, and shoes or runners on which the cleanerrests in the pipe, the runners of the several cutting members being arranged to cause only three runners to engage the pipe at one time. The cutting edges on the several cutting members are arranged in staggered relation to. each other so that when the sewer cleaner is pulled through a pipe, it will cut a complete passage through the sewer.

In the embodiment of the invention shown.

in the drawings, three cutting units or members are employed, two of these units A A being arranged adjacent to the ends of the longitudinal supporting member or bar C and a cutting unit B being arranged intermediate between the units A and A so that the cleaner may be pulled through a sewer pipe in either direction. The supporting member or bar C may be of any suitablekind,that shown being substantially square in cross section and being provided at its opposite ends with shackles or eyes 0 to which a cable, chain or the like (not shown) may be attached for pulling the cleaner through a sewer.

The cutting members A A may be of any suitable construction, but preferably each member comprises a hub a, through which the rod or bar 0 extends, a set screw 64 being preferably employed for holding the cutting member in the desired position on the bar, and cutting blades D which are preferably curved substantiallyin the arc of a circle concentric with the hub and which are connected with the hub a of the cutting member by means of armed extending outwardly from the hub. Contact shoes or runners E extend outwardly beyond the cutting edges in such a manner as to keep the cutting edges from coming into contact with the sides of the sewer pipe. In the construction shown, the contact shoes or runners extend outwardly from the cuttingblades and the end portions thereof are curved inwardly toward the axis of the cleaner toenable the runners to pass over any uneven portions in the sewer pipe. The hub, cutting blades, arms and contact shoes of each'cutting member are preferably formed integrally so that the cutting member is of unitary structure. The front, rear and side-edges ofthe cutting blades are sharpened so as'to enable the same to cut through roots or other obstructions in the sewer.

The intermediate cutting unit or member B is substantially similar in construction to the cutting members A A. In the cutting member B the cutting blades F are, however, plac'ed at a greater distance from the hub b and the radial arms f of the cutting member B extend at an angle of about fortyfive degrees from the arms d of thecutting members A A when the cutting members are mounted on the supporting rod or bar C. The intermediate cutting member B is also provided with contact shoes or runners G,

which are centrally arranged with regard,

to the cutting blades F, these runners, how ever, extending only a short distance radially beyond the cutting blades F. The front, rear and side edges of the cutting blades F are also sharpened.

In the construction shown, each cutting member is provided with four cutting blades and four radial arms, but it is understood that a greater or less number of cutting blades and arms may be employed providing the arms and cutting blades on the several cutting members are staggered so that the sewer cleaner in passing lengthwise through the sewer will form a complete tubular or cylindrical cut through any obstructions in a sewer. The cutting member B is securedon the supporting rod or bar C by means of a set screw 7'.

By means of the construction described, the cutting members A A. and B may be arranged as desired on the siugporting rod C. For example, it the sewer cleaner is to be used in a sewer which is filled with roots or heavy deposits, better results can be obtained by positioning the end cutting members A A as far from the intern'iediate member as is possible, so that the cut made by the end member which passes through the sewer in advance of the intermediate member is made at a considerable distance from that made by the intermediate member. \Vhen the sewer cleaner is used in sewers filled with soft or partly liquid ma terial, it is desirable that the cutting members should be close together so that a soft or flexible root or other obstruction can not pass between the several cutting blades without being cut by the same. The diametric distance between the cutting blades of the end members is less than the distance between the cutting blades of the intermediate member so that the advancing end member will cut a smaller hole or passage through the sewer than the intermediate member. Consequently the cleaner in passing through a sewer cuts first a small opening through an obstruction and then a larger one. This arrangement materially reduces the amount of pull or force required to draw the cleaner through a sewer.

H represents a plate or disk which may be secured on the supporting rod and which is used to force loose material through a sewer. In the construction shown, this plate or disk is so shaped as to fit within the cutting blades F of the cutting member B and to be supported by theradial arms f, the disk being notched at h to receive the inner ends of the shoes G. The vdisk is held in position adjacent to the cutting member B by means of a bolt or the like It passing through the supporting rod or bar 0. The disk H is readily removable from the sewer cleaner in case it is desired to use the sewer cleaner without the disk.

The sewer cleaner is shown in Figs. 1 and a as it appears when passing through a sewer pipe I. Since the contact shoes or runners of the intermediate cutting member B are arranged at approximately forty-five degrees from the shoes or runners E of the outer cutting members, it will be apparent that the sewer cleaner when resting in a sewer pipe will contact on only three shoes at one time. This arrangement of the shoes or runners reduces the amount of friction between the sewer cleaner and the sewer and thus facilitates the drawing of the cleaner through the sewer.

The sewer cleaner described 18 strong and rigid in construction and efficient in operation. By making the cleaner in several parts or units, it is a simple matter to repair the cleaner in case one of the units becomes broken. The adj ustability of the cutting members relatively to each other adapts the cleaner to meet any conditions which might arise in the cleaning of sewers.

Since the sewer cleaner is generally drawn, through a sewer by means of a stranded cable or rope, the twist of the rope or cable will tend to cause the cleaner to turn as it passes through the sewer, thereby causing the sharpened sides of the cutting blades to cut roots or other obstructions in the sewer.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a supporting member adapted to be moved lengthwise through a sewer, a plurality of cutting members mounted on said supporting member, means for adjusting said cutting members relatively to each other on said supporting member and a contact shoe on each of said cutting members.

2. In a sewer cleaner, a cutting member having radial arms, and cutting blades on the outer portions of said arms, said cutting blades having sharpened front and side edges.

3. In a sewer-cleaner, the combination of a plurality of cutting members arranged one in advance of another, each of said cutting members having a plurality of cutting blades, the cutting blades of one member being arranged substantially in alinement with the space between the cutting blades of an adjacent member and extending circumfen entially to a considerable distance to each side of said space.

4. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a supporting bar adapted to be moved lengthwise through a sewer, a plurality of cutting members having hub portions through which said bar passes, each of said cutting members having a plurality of cutting blades arranged circumt'erentially at intervals from each other, the cutting blades of one member being arranged in longitudinal alinement with the intervals between the blades of the next adjacent cutting memher and being of sufiicient width to cut through a space exceeding the width of said.

intervals.

5. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a plurality of cutting members arranged one in advance of another, each of said cutting members comprising a hub portion and a plurality of arms extending outwardly from said hub portion, and cutting blades arranged at the outer portions of said arms, said cutting blades being spaced circumferentially at intervals from each other, and said arms being arranged at intervals from each other to form spaces through which liquid can flow, whereby the cleaner may be passed through a sewer without interrupting the flow of liquid through the same.

(3. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a plurality of cutting members arranged one in advance of another, each of said cutting members comprising a plurality of outwardly extending arms, and cutting blades arranged at the outer portions of said arms, said cutting blades being spaced circumierentially at intervals from each other, the cutting blades of one cutting member being arranged in staggered relation with regard to the cutting blades of an adjacent cutting member.

7. In a sewer cleaner, the combination or" a plurality of cutting members arranged one in advance of another, each of said cutting members comprising a plurality of outwardly extending arms, cutting blades ar ranged at the outer portions of said arms, said cutting blades being spaced circumferentially at intervals from each other, and contact shoes extending outwardly beyond said cutting blades.

8. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a plurality of cutting members arranged one in advance of another, each of said cutting members being provided with cutting blades arranged circumferentially at intervals from each other, the diametric distance between the cutting blades of the cutting member which passes through the sewer first being less than the diametric distance between the blades of a succeeding cutting member.

9. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a supporting member adapted to be moved lengthwise through a sewer, end and intermediate cutting members secured on said supporting member, said cutting members having cutting blades arranged circumferentially at intervals from each other, the diametric distance between the cutting blades of said end cutting members being less than the diametric distance between the cutting blades of said intermediate member.

10. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a plurality of cutting members arranged one in advance of another, each of said cutting members having a plurality of cutting blades, the cutting blades of one member being arranged in staggered relation in regard to the cutting blades of an adjacent member, the diametric distance between the cutting blades of the cutting member which passes through the sewer first being less than the diametric distance between the blades of a succeeding cutting member.

11. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a. supporting bar adapted to be moved lengthwise through a sewer, a plurality of cutting members mounted on said bar and having radial arms provided at their outer portions with cutting blades, and a disk adapted to be secured on said bar adjacent to one of said cutting members.

12. In a sewer cleaner, the combination of a plurality of cutting members arranged one in advance of another, a supporting member to which said cutting members are rigidly secured, each of said members being provid ed with cutting blades arranged circum ferentially, and contact shoes extending outwardly beyond said cutting blades, the contact shoes of one cutting member being arranged in staggered relation with regard to the contact shoes of an adjacent cutting member, whereby the sewer cleaner rests only on three contact shoes at one time.

13. In a sewer cleaner, a cutting member having radial arms, and circumferential cutting blades on the outer portions of said arms, said cutting blades having a sharpened edge facing the direction of movement of said cutting member, and sharpened side edges.

14. In a sewer cleaner, a cutting member having radial arms, and substantially rectangular cutting blades on the outer portions of said arms, the front, rear and side edges of said blades being sharpened.

Witness my hand, this 14th day of August, 1916.

JOHN M. THOMPSON.

Witnesses F. E. PROCHNOW, M. J. PITMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

